Pete, who owned the property for over 30 years, planted most if not all of the fruit and nut trees here (the details are a bit murky right now). We aren't sure how many there are, but about 65% of the 16 acres are in orchard, and the trees were planted with the minimum of spacing.
Common hazel (Corylis avellana) beginning to ripen. Common hazels are native to almost all of Europe and Western Asia east to an area extending from NW Iran, through the Caucaus Mountains, and up into Russia's Central Urals. One way to determine which species of the 14+ species worldwide is the length of the husk, or involucre, that surrounds the nut. Common hazels usually have a husk that covers three-fourths of the nut. Filberts have a husk that fully encloses and extends beyond the end of the nut.
Black walnut
Chestnut variety
A very nice chestnut tree to sit beneath. Unfortunately this one does not produce.
Hazelnuts strung up to dry by Abigail
hazel nuts are high in protein, unsaturated fat, thiamine, and vitamin B6. I cup of the flour has 20 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of fiber. Nuts are, and have been in history, an alternative food staple to todays grains.
Most hazelnuts in the stores are grown and shipped over from Turkey.
Hundreds of Asian pear trees produce fruit. The local fruit (and nut?) club is interested in determining if the farm has an unknown Vashon hybrid. They plan on keeping watch this coming fall.
Apple. Jen and I have much to learn about orcharding.
Belted Kingfisher over one of the farm's ponds
Glaucous-winged gull with fresh sea-star lunch
One Western Sandpiper among thousands last month at Padilla Bay
The largest Great Blue Heron rookery in Washington State
Red shafted northern flickers, winter residents at the farm
Juvenile red-tailed hawk
Pied-billed grebe on Lake Washington
American Wigeons in Tramp Harbor
Eurasian wigeon
House finch
Belted Kingfisher off Discovery Park
American goldfinch
White crowned sparrow at Blue Dog
White-crowned sparrow chick
